♪ ♪ captioning sponsored by cbs >> o'donnell: tonight, the president's warning to protesters, as tulsa prepares for his first campaign rally in the age of coronavirus. president trump issues a threat as the mayor rescinds a weekend curfew. plus, tulsa sees a record high in new covid cases. what the oklahoma supreme court is saying tonight about forcing rally-goers to wear masks. celebrating juneteenth: for15yef slavery, and this year, across the country, tens of thousands march for change. the city of louisville moves to fire a police officer involved in the deadly shooting of breonna taylor nearly 100 days after she was killed in her own home. the stunning termination letter

tonight. coronavirus concerns: baseball's philadelphia phillies, hockey's tampa bay lightning closed their facilities after players test positive. opal's march: the 93-year-old teacher-turned-activist walking 100 miles to make juneteenth a national holiday. tonight she tells us her dreams may be closer than ever. >> and i feel it in my bones. >> o'donnell: cbs' steve hartman on why a mysterious mailbox has become a popular place to talk to dear old dad. this is the "cbs evening news" with norah o'donnell, reporting from the nation's capital. >> o'donnell: good evening to our viewers in the west. we are going to begin tonight in tulsa, oklahoma, where that state's supreme court has just ruled president trump can go ahead with an indoor rally tomorrow, without requiring face masks.

as many as 19,000 people are expected to attend what will be the largest gathering in the u.s. since the coronavirus pandemic began. the president's choice of tulsa has set off a firestorm, not just because the city is seeing a spike in coronavirus infections, but because the rally was originally scheduled for tonight, just as millions of americans celebrate juneteenth, a holiday marking the end of slavery. tonight, tulsa is bracing for protests after weeks of nationwide demonstrations over racial injustice. today, president trump took to twitter, appearing to threaten anyone who might demonstrate there, suggesting they would not be treated well. but that warning comes as much of the country paused to commemoratju were events held nationwide. in new york, thousands marched across the brooklyn bridge, while in washington, people took a knee at the martin luther king jr. memorial. and tonight, there's yet another reminder of the outrage that has sparked a national conversation about race and justice.

three months after 26-year-old breonna taylor was shot and killed in her home by louisville, kentucky police, that city's mayor is moving to have one of the officers involved fired. so, there's a lot of news to get to tonight, and our team of correspondents is covering it all. cbs' omar villafranca is going to lead off our coverage tonight from tulsa. omar. >> reporter: hundreds are lining up here in tulsa a day before the president's rally. there is no curfew, which that means these people are expected to camp out for the first-come, first-served event. hrters ned n tulsa, on twitter, the president issued a warning, saying "any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to oklahoma, please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in new york, seattle, or minneapolis. it will be a much different scene." oklahoma governor kevin stitt responded to the president's statements. >> we will protect your right to peacefully protest.

there's a difference, though. when you start destroying someone else's property, then we're going to be there, we're going to be tough on that. we're going to make sure that we hold those folks accountable. >> repor continues as the sooner state battles a surging coronavirus. local health officials are concerned. the site of saturday's indoor rally holds 19,000 people, and the oklahoma supreme court decided today that rally-goers do not have to wear masks. but team trump will take people's temperatures and hand out sanitizer and masks for those who want to wear them. less than a mile away, thousands more are expected over the weekend in tulsa's historic greenwood district for juneteenth, to celebrate the day slaves were freed. masks are being handed out for the outdoor festivities, and health officials are encouraging people to wear them, but they're not required. more than 100,000 people are expected here in downtown tulsa over the weekend. there will also be plenty of security. besides local police and sheriff's deputies, there will

also be 250 national guardsmen and more than 200 state troopers on standby, just in case. norah. >> o'donnell: omar villafranca, thank you. juneteenth started in texas 155 years ago to mark the end of slavery. tonight, celebrations are continuing with americans demanding racial justice. here's cbs' adriana diaz. >> no justice! >> no peace! >> reporter: thousands lifted up their voices in chicago today, many in the memory of george floyd. >> because it was so heart- wrenching and it seemed to resonate with so many people, that there is a new desire to do something. >> reporter: especially on an anniversary like this. >> yes. >> reporter: from oakland... >> black lives matter! >> reporter: ...to the nation's capitol, where a silent crowd kneeled around the martin luther king, jr. memorial. it was a rallying cry for change. >> juneteenth is about a celebration, in part. but also understand that the best, the very best, is yet to come. >> reporter: in galveston,

texas, the city where juneteenth started, a somber ceremony replaced the major festival, which was canceled due to covid-19. today, there was also a surprising announcement from the national archives in washington. researchers discovered the actual, handwritten union general's order emancipating the texas slaves, writing, "to the people of texas, all slaves are free." this year, more corporations are honoring the day... >> lift every voice and sing. e and sing.: ...with dozens of >> reporter: ...with dozens of companies, including nike, lyft, and twitter, making juneteenth an official holiday. back here in chicago, marchers say they're fighting for their future. why is it important, do you guys think, to come out? >> if we just stayed home and, like, wished that there was a change, nothing would change. >> reporter: momentum to recognize juneteenth is growing. this week, new york and virginia made it a paid holiday for state workers, and today bills were introduced in both the house and

senate to try to make it a national holiday. norah. >> o'donnell: adriana diaz, thank you. we turn now to breaking news from louisville, kentucky. tonight, the city has begun the process of firing one of three officers involved in the deadly shooting of breonna taylor. the 26-year-old emergency medical technician was shot and killed by police who broke down her door during an attempted drug sting. cbs' mola lenghi reports on a case that is drawing national attention. >> reporter: tonight, nearly 100 days after breonna taylor was shot and killed in her apartment, one of the officers involved will be fired. louisville's police chief issuing a scathing rebuke of officer brett hankison's actions, calling his conduct saying he brought discredit to the department and that officer hankison violated standard operating procedures when he wantonly and blindly fired 10 rounds into the apartment of taylor. earlier today, images captured uredi. agents searching taylor's f.b.i. agents searching taylor's home for the first time.

they're conducting an independent investigation. it was on march 13 that taylor was shot at least eight times after police used a battering ram to enter her apartment after midnight, believing it was being used by a drug dealer to receive packages. while the plainclothed officers contend they identified themselves, taylor's boyfriend says they did not, and he opened fire to defend himself against what he thought were intruders. he later called 911 as taylor laid dying. tayl has been simmering, with protesters demanding swift justice and the arrest of all three officers. breonna taylor's mother still >> they portrayed as if she was some drug dealer. they bust down this door and-- and her and her boyfriend are shooting at them, and they're returning fire.

>> reporter: well, the other two officers involved in the shooting have not been fired, but they have been placed on administrative leave. breonna taylor's family, through their attorney tonight, tells us that today's action was a good first step, but ultimately, they want to see criminal charges filed against all three officers involved. norah. >> o'donnell: mola lenghi tonight, thank you. today, the trump administration asked a federal judge to halt publication of former national security advisor john bolton's tell-all memoir. but with the book's release set for tuesday and copies already in circulation, there may be little the white house can do to keep it out of the public's hands. cbs' ben tracy reports tonight from the white house. >> reporter: the contents of former national security advisor john bolton's scathing critique of president trump are already widely known. today, bolton's lawyer cited our own paula reid, holdig up the book at the white house, as evidence that the horse is out of the barn. the administration claims it contains classified information. bolton says that's not the

president's actual concern. >> the president isn't worried about foreign governments reading this book. he's worried about the american people reading this book. >> reporter: the book, published by simon & schuster, a division of viacomcbs, depicts president trump as highly uninformed and motivated purely by self- interest. secretary of state mike pompeo is calling bolton a traitor. former chief of staff mick mulvaney takes issue with the book, but admits president trump did not hire the best people. >> he didn't hire very well. he did not have experience at running government and didn't know how to put together a team that could work well with him. >> reporter: today, the unsurpassed abity triumph over darkness." but an hour later, on a day celebrating the end of slavery, president trump retweeted this sarcastic message about george washington owning slaves. president trump's response to racial isses has led a top

african american state department official to resign in protest. her name is mary elizabeth taylor, and she reportedly wrote in her resignation letter that "the president's actions cut sharply against my core values and convictions." norah. >> o'donnell: ben tracy at the white house. thank you. tonight, the world health organization says we are in a new and dangerous phase of the coronavirus pandemic after shattering a record number of new cases in a single day globally. more than 2.2 million cases have now been confirmed just right here in the u.s., and nearly 119,000 people have been killed nationwide. and tonight, at least 24 states are reporting increases in new infections. here's cbs' jamie yuccas. >> reporter: new spikes tonight in coronavirus cases in states from coast to coast. apple is now closing some reopened stores in newly hard- hit states. covid-positive tests in the m.l.b., n.h.l., and p.g.a. are

forcing some sports facilities to close. major cruise lines are agreeing to suspend operations in the united states until september 15. and a.m.c., expected to open 1,000 theaters next month, will now require customers to wear masks, after first announcing they would be optional. california and parts of oregon are now requiring those in public to wear masks, but in arizona... >> this is a sign of control. whoo! >> reporter: dr. anthony fauci told cbs radio that he's frustrated with the debate. >> clearly, we have not succeeded in getting the public, as a whole, uniformly, to respond in a way that is a sound, scientific, public health and medical situation. >> reporter: the big apple will allow outdoor dining and indoor retail. salons like 718 in brooklyn are ready to give haircuts, with precautions. >> our employees are going to have on a mask. they're also going to have on a

face shield. >> reporter: that's because phase two of new york reopening starts on monday. here in los angeles, tattoo parlors, nail salons and barseno 4,000 new cases are being reported across california. in some instances, businesses here will not just requiree emp. norah. >> o'donnell: all right, jamie yuccas, thank you. tonight, we want to introduce you to opal lee, the 93-year-old activist and lifelong texan who has campaigned to make june 19 a national holiday for years. hate she experienced at a young age drove lee to organize a walk from her home in forth worth to the nation's capitol in the hopes of getting a million signatures on a juneteenth petition. cbs' jericka duncan tonight with her inspiring story. >> reporter: at 93... >> take that for the children. >> reporter: ...opal lee is down.ng no signs of slowing >> put it that way.

>> reporter: during the pandemic, she's been delivering for years that's gaining momentum-- taking steps to make juneteenth a federal holiday. >> slaves in texas didn't know they were free until a general garden granger made his way to galveston with troops to tell slaves they were free. but this is two and a half years after the emancipation. >> reporter: african americans then and now have celebrated june 19 as their independence day. to highlight that history, lee started a walking campaign across the country to raise awareness for juneteenth. for people who say slavery happened a long time ago, why is this so important, to have a national holiday? >> i say that there's still a form of slavery going on. if people don't have enough to eat, it's a form of slavery.

and none of us are free until we're all free. orjune 1 more than 80 years ago, it was a life-changing event for lee. when she was 13 years old, she says a white mob burned down her family's home. that experience drives her to this day. you've been working on this for decades, and here you are, at 93 years old, still talking about it, still walking in honor of it. what's the lesson there? >> i'm going to keep right on doing this until i know it's a holiday. and i feel it in my bones. >> reporter: and this time, it just feels different. ♪ we shall overcome... >> reporter: jericka duncan, cbs news, new york. >> o'donnell: and we can report that opal lee has now more than 600,000 signatures on that petition. there is still much more news ahead on tonight's "cbs evening news." the captain who sounded the alarm about a covid outbreak on

his ship learns if he'll get his job back. and cbs' steve hartman with a discovery of a mailbox in the middle of the woods, and what it has to do with father's day.

>> o'donnell: some news tonight about the navy captain removed from his ship after raising concerns about a coronavirus outbreak. we learned he will not be reinstated. the navy said today brett crozier did not do enough to stop the spread on the u.s.s. "theodore roosevelt" before he pleaded for help. more than 1,200 crew members tested positive, and one died. senator amy klobuchar says she's bowing out of the selection process to become joe biden's running mate. cbs' ed o'keefe asked the senator today why she decided to withdraw. >> i think the right thing to do right now, and i told this to vice president biden, is to put a woman of color on the ticket as the next vice president of our country. >> o'donnell: cbs news has learned biden is vetting several

potential running mates, including senators kamala harris and elizabeth warren, and congresswoman val demings. coming up next, cbs' steve hartman goes off road to solve a father's day mystery.

>> o'donnell: we end tonight with cbs' steve hartman, who travels deep into the woods to solve a father's day mystery. here's tonight's "on the road." >> reporter: deep inside geprags park in hinesburg, vermont, there's a mystery.e way out here under the cover of night and installed a mailbox, leaving no explanation aside from that three-letter clue, "d-a-d." >> after keeping it secret for so many years, i knew that somebody would find out about it and want to share it with others. and i think now is a great time to share it. >> reporter: harry lamble put it there because he has always been a letter writer, and his favorite pen pal was always his father, george. >> that was my way to connect with him. and so, when he passed away, about a year later, i realized that that piece of our

relationship was missing. and so, that's when i decided to find a way to continue that connection. >> reporter: again, until recently, no one knew how it got there, but many have stumbled upon it, peeked inside, and made it their connection, too. strangers now leave blank journals for others to write in, and today there are hundreds of messages to dads gone by. "you showed me how kind and gentle a truly strong man is." "how challenging it is sometimes to keep you a part of my life when the living are so needy." "i often wish i could see you, but i don't miss you because your spirit glides by so often." and, of course, the most recent entry: >> "daddy-o, for so long it was our private conversation, but so many people have found this to be a place of love, appreciation and healing. as we struggle to survive this your gift will be ae wounds that we have created as a

country, your gift will be a place where we can all come together to connect with our dads and share their stories. love forever and a day, barry." >> reporter: and with that, the portal closes yet again, ready for the next grateful child to come along. steve hartman, "on the road," in hinesburg, vermont. >> o'donnell: and to all the fathers out there, we wish you a happy father's day. we'll be right back.

>> o'donnell: next week on the "cbs evening news," we'll interview former natioo u can ws later. and that is tonight's "cbs evening news." i'm norah o'donnell. stay safe this weekend and good

nigh ♪ this virus is testing all of us. of this fight most of all. so abbott is getting new tests into their hands, delivering the critical results they need. and until this fight is over, we...will...never...quit. because they never quit.

day commemorating the end of slavery. the message behind this year' massive juneteenth events. a bay area wal-mart shopper stunned. the ultimatum that he says he received from store workers and why the company is on damage control tonight. a surprise announcement during a town hall on police reform. why one bay area chief is calling it quits. >> it is obvious to me i lost the trust of the city council. >> right now at the kpix5 news at 7:00 and streaming on bcsn bay area. massive marchs around the area celebrating juneteenth. i'm elizabeth cook. >> i'm ken bastida. the turnout unlike anything we have seen in s